December's Object: Abigail's Pocket

Our December Object of the Month is one of the MHS' recent acquisitions: a "dimity pocket" once owned and used by Abigail Adams. It came to the Society as a gift from antique purse collectors Paula Novell Higgins of Georgia and Lori Rose Blaser of California, who purchased it from an estate in Adams, NY. The pocket was previously in the possession of Abigail's granddaughter Elizabeth "Lizzie" Coombs Adams, possibly passed to her directly from Abigail under the terms of her will, in which she left "all my Cloathing--body Linnen &--not already heirred shall be equally divided between my five Grand daughters and Louisa Catherine Smith."

A note by Lizzie Adams attesting to the original ownership of the pocket accompanies the piece.

To read more about dimity pockets in general and this one in particular, and for further reading suggestions, see Adams Papers Assistant Editor Sarah Sikes' Object of the Month essay.